Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s most influential pharaohs, is remembered for ushering in an era of prosperity and artistic achievement. Her remarkable story—defying the belief that a woman couldn’t rule—was brought to life by a sixth-grade class at Daybreak Elementary in a year-end performance.

Sydney Hansen stepped into the role of the legendary leader, portraying the “Queen of Denial” who ruled along the Nile.

“It’s become easier to know the Egyptian history by getting to know the people and how they lived,” she said. “I understand it so much better now.”

After earning the part through an audition, Sydney worked on memorizing her lines outside of rehearsals, often practicing with her mother.

“I learned how to not just say the lines, but act with them; I learned how to walk around and use facial expressions,” she said. “She was confident, so I had to make sure I played the part since she knows her stuff.”

The musical, “Hatshepsut,” was directed by Sydney’s teacher, Tawna Pippen, who previously led a class production of “Romeo & Juliet.” 

“First, I wanted them to understand more about Egyptian history, and secondly, have confidence in themselves to do hard things because performing in front of people can be hard,” said Pippen, who has taught at the school the past 11 years. “Thirdly, I really wanted them to have this memory; this is what they’ll remember.”

The script was shared with Pippen by drama teacher Wendy Babcock, who collaborated on the show and supported students in learning the music.

“I also like that they’re working on core curriculum skills like speaking and listening. They memorized their parts; they practiced singing. They’re learning teamwork,” Pippen said.

Many of the students will enroll at Mountain Creek Middle School where they may continue exploring theater.

“Last week, I had two students from last year return from Mountain Creek to give them pointers. They told them to work on their choreography, sing louder and to have fun,” Pippen said.

For Sydney, the fun was already underway.

“It’s an exciting show. The songs are awesome; they’re uplifting and have good beat,” she said. “It’s been fun to do this with my friends in class. We’re able to give each other suggestions to make it better, tell jokes, sing the songs and do it together.”λ